Posts tagged “linear”

When you imagine a trip to Bali, you may think first of lying on white sand beaches in the shade of tall palms. But a bit away from the water is where the magic can really happen. The jungles of Bali are rich with greenery and wildlife — and if you’re lucky enough, you may even find yourself at one of the island’s most luxurious estates, nestled right into that jungle. The home featured here is just such a retreat. Featuring a sparkling clear infinity pool, an outdoor bath, and plenty of indoor space for the long and luxurious evening of a vacation, this home is a true treasure, as you’ll see in the photos from photographer Daniel Koh.

The demolition and construction started in our service kitchen that will house our future Master’s Bedroom.

Since the whole house will apparently be uncomfortable to live, we decided to prioritize the bedroom as originally planned and suggested to the architect. This will be the Phase 1. The room will accommodate my whole family during the renovation period.

We wanted the same requirements as in our previous one, but we wanted it to have a high ceiling, bigger space with the open shelves walk-in closet and ensuite T&B as usual. The architect suggested making a customized king size bed frame with headboard, including the side tables.

This room has been our common bedroom, our refuge from all dust and mess from outside and temporary storage. It was definitely an unwelcoming idea for my wife, but does she have any choice? Even if it was not yet ready for the installation of the air-conditioning unit, it was immediately installed.

The weather in the Philippines was very unpredictable and it was crucial to complete the roof once and for all. I was on Christmas holiday when we started working on it. Some change in plan was consider like including covering the slab above the garage to provide a den, an extra room for guest, a TV room or study room as our previous one will be used as bedroom for one of the boys. I left the country without finishing the work. Eventually, a roof over my family’s head were screwed and riveted in place.

Since my family lived in here during the whole duration of construction, the architect came up with programme, doing the whole house in four (4) phases. He prepared plan for each phase starting with the master bedroom with walk-in closet and ensuite bath (Ph1 – The Masters); the laundry, service kitchen, maid’s quarter with T&B, formal kitchen, dining and common T&B for the kids (Ph2 – The Service Area); the living room and the courtyard/airwell (Ph3 – The Front Room) and the kid’s rooms and the den (Ph4 – For the kids). We did not include works in the facade (The Envelope) and the apartment at the back (For Rent – Back of the House).

The House has gone through a number of extensions, renovations and repairs. From a humble 25 square meters house on 69 square meters lot to about 700 (including a proposed 5-doors apartments at the back), can you imagine how many has been done through all these years?

With the generous help and support of Arch. Butch who provide an almost free assistance, we finally came up with plan to do what I can say “the realization of our dream”. We were so scared as we know our budget seems not enough to start the project.

It was sometime October 2016, when we had the discussion and came up with the plan to have the renovation. We just wanted to re-roof and improve the facade that would make all previous extensions looks like it was done at one time.

The sketches were drawn and shown to us by the architect.

November 2016 from these initial concepts, it started to snowballed into Olympic scale. These drawing started to take its form as Juni, my well-trusted contractor, started to demolish, break, and rebuilt. Deliveries of materials started to filed up our space and the first hollow block has been set.

What makes us finally decide to have this major decision of rebuilding our house? It’s the leak. This bungalow was actually designed and proposed for another storey in the future. So, obviously all the extension has been covered with a slab roof that would serve later as the flooring for the next phase. Unfortunately, budget did not allow me to push with the rest of my plan yet and it’s a fact that a slab is not a wise idea as a shelter from rain. The leaked damage our ceiling and other stuffs below it. We have to bear that for several years, whilst spending money for repairing and repainting till the next rainy season, again and again.

Hence, we came up with the solution, to cover the roof of the whole house and forgo the idea of the having another floor.

From paper…

To the real thing (with long time business partners, Edgar for the trusses and Apollo for roofing installation). The roof was a combination of Banawe and Multirib from Puyat Steel (0.50mm).

This beautiful apartment may be on the smaller side, but the layouts are super smart! This clocks in at less than 40 square meters of floor space, yet it make the most of the compact layouts by striking the perfect balance between openness and functionality. And get ready to redefine your loft goals: this apartment features lofted bedroom and office, clearing out plenty of space for other lifestyle necessities.

Simple tiles and simple fixtures allow the bathroom to feel open and comfortable, while at the same time, carefully curated decoration avoids an overly utilitarian aesthetic.

Occupying the space below the mezzanine level, the bathroom is surprisingly bright and spacious with plenty of natural sunlight throughout – with a large vanity mirror to maximize its effect.

Guests and residents enter the apartment through the kitchen, the bathroom conveniently through the door to the right hand side. This sensible layout maximizes the amount of sunlight in a space that would be fairly dark otherwise.

Appliances take a conservative approach by remaining mostly below the countertops. The washer and dryer used to reside in the bathroom but once you see the bathroom’s fresh new style, you’ll see why the designer moved them.

Limited in terms of vertical space and natural lighting, the kitchen makes the best of its circumstance with bright white surfaces and smooth concrete floors.

The ceilings aren’t especially high so the loft keeps furniture very low to the floor. Pillows make it easier to sit cross-legged at the desk for longer stretches of time.

From the bedroom, it’s easy to catch a glimpse of the neighboring apartment building or admire the living space below. A half-wall offers just enough privacy to help the resident feel secure.

Compact stairs lead to the bedroom loft with kitchen and bathroom beneath. Note that the designer didn’t pass up a chance to integrate more storage space under the first few steps. Smart!

Split construction gives the dining table more functionality for its footprint. This configuration maintains a streamlined form against the wall, appropriate for working on a laptop or sitting down to write a letter.

Because of the resident’s frequent travel, the books don’t require constant access. The sliding ladder makes them easily available when needed with several shelves within easy access of the loft.

Furniture remains as simple as can be. Each piece scales to its specific niche without flaw, the tatami sofa tucked into the window alcove and the dining table matching the width of the alcove’s edge.

Located in Taipei, Taiwan, this apartment simplifies its interior to the most basic elements in order to stretch its 22 square meter layout. The ceilings reach 3.3 meters in height – somewhat low compared to other interiors with mezzanine levels but more than enough for this designer to work with. The resident (a frequent traveler) required ample storage for clothes and books along with wide-open space for exercise, which the designers accommodated without sacrificing any of the essential amenities of home.

We all know that styles are cyclical and, of course, the world of interior design is not exempt. The best aesthetics will be popular again and again. Right now, mid-century-modern design is making a comeback and, if you ask us, it’s for good reason.

What is it about this aesthetic that keeps us coming back for more over half a century later? We’ll tell you why mid-century modern will never really leave us — and how to work the style into your interiors while making sure they are rooted in the new millennium. After all, sometimes the old way of doing things really is the right way.

Mid-century modern is not so old-fashioned anymore. Image Source: Cablik Enterprises

You can achieve a modern take on any classic look. Image Source: Gus Duffy AIA

The mid-century-modern school of design also includes architecture. Image Source: Conrado Home Builders

What Is Mid-Century Modern?

If you’ve ever seen an episode of Mad Men, you’re already familiar with mid-century-modern design. In fact, the term was coined in 1984 by author Cara Greenberg. She used it to discuss the signature looks of the 1960s in her book Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s.

Though the moniker has become a bit broad in the past few decades, it’s most commonly used to refer to the styles that became popular in a post-World War II landscape. While there may be a few variations, most people agree that this time period extends from 1945-1969.

Interestingly, this style doesn’t just refer to aspects of interior design. It is commonly used as a descriptor for any architecture, furniture, accessories, materials and technologies that grew in popularity after the end of the war.

It Showcases Simplicity

When you look at design projects that follow a mid-century-modern style, the one thing you won’t see is tons of excess. Rather than requiring a bunch of ornate embellishments, the mid-century look is all about stripping items down to their barest elements and letting their function become the star.

Keep this in mind when it comes to choosing the items that will fill your space. Look for furniture that has clean lines and, if needed, multiple uses. Stick to décor items that are modern or geometric in their aesthetic.

This concept should also be taken into account when it comes to designing the layout of your space. Rather than cluttering up the room, focus on choosing one strong focal area that will dictate the room’s function. For example, consider using a statement table in your dining room or creating an inviting seating area in your living room. Then, don’t be afraid to step back and allow negative space to play a key role in your design.

It Lets Us Play With Color

Of course, when you focus on bringing simplistic shapes into your space, it becomes necessary to add a layer of visual interest elsewhere. The mid-century-modern look does that by incorporating bold pops of color. Brooke Schneider, a designer based in Long Beach, Calif., explains it best:

“When homeowners think ‘color,’ they often think of the bright hues of the mid-century time period. With clear, cheerful colors, the 1950s exhibited a new American outlook of optimism that was comfortably removed from the drab war years.”

Don’t be afraid to go big with shades like blueberry, citron or fire-engine red. Just be sure to avoid mixing multiple loud colors like they did in that time period. Doing so might make your space look more outdated than retro-inspired. Instead, focus on tempering one colorful statement piece with more neutral hues to ensure a modern twist on this style of design.

It Connects Us With Nature

Since mid-century-modern design is all about simplicity, it makes sense that this school of style would harbor a strong connection to nature. In particular, those who are looking for ways to embrace sustainable design may be interested in what this aesthetic has to offer.

First, it’s important to consider how nature can affect the layout of the space. In mid-century architecture, large windows often play a key role. But anyone can work off those principles by making windows the focal point of your space whenever possible and making sure that they stay unencumbered from heavy drapery.

As for the design elements to fill your space, focus on choosing items made from natural materials such as wood, metal and leather or cotton textiles. Don’t be afraid to bring the outside in by adding greenery to accent your design.

There’s a reason why mid-century-modern design is present in our consciousness after over a half-century since its debut. Whether it’s the clean lines, bold colors or connection to nature, this school of style is currently making a big comeback in interior design.

Mario Martins Atelier designed this swimming pool at a home in Portugal, where the design intention was described as “simple with a quiet presence, and where the natural vegetation, of almond and carob trees, typical of the Algarve countryside, predominates.”